Territory



(No Model.)

J. A. PALLGATTER.

FIRE ESCAPE.

Patented Dec. 27, 1887.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. FALLGATTER, OF HURON, DAKOTA TERRITORY.

FIRE-EKSCAPEP SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 375,701, dated December 27, 1887,

Application filed June 1, 1887. SerialNo. 239,975. (No model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN A. FALLGATTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Huron, in the county of Beadle and Territory of Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to that class of fireescapes which are attached to the outside of houses for the purpose of enabling persons to descend thereby from any window of the'liouse; and the object of the invention is, first, to provide a ladder long enough to reach from the upper windows of a house to the ground, and to so hang it that it may be stored compactly against the side of the house when not in use, and that it may also be supported for service far enough from the house so that persons may descend on the inner face of the ladder between it and the house, while the outer face of the ladder is free to be used by firemen in carrying up theirhose, &c.; second, to so hang the ladder that it may be lIlOVGdll] front of any column of windows by a person on the ground, and, third, to so construct and hang the ladder that when stored away it may not be used by burglars.

To this end my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts forming a fire-escape, hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is afront elevation ofa house, showing my fire-escape stored away out of service. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, and Fig. 3 is a similar side elevation showing the fireescape ready for service.

5 represents either the front or any side of a house to which the fire escape is to be secured.

6 represents a series of strong brackets permanently secured to the face of the house in any suitable manner. I

7 represents the upper section of theladder, which is hung upon a slide-bar, S, by means of hooks 9, which may slide freely along the bar.

10 represents a series of braces rigidly secured at their upper ends to the slide-bar and pivoted midway to the brackets upon bolts 11, I

and stopped at their lower ends, 12, in the same brackets 6 in such a manner that the said lower ends will swing out free of the steps 12 when the slide-bar 8 is moved back to the house, as in Fig. 3.

13 represents the lower section of the ladder, which is fitted to slide endwise and extend below the upperladder, 7, the two ladders being extensibly secured together by any usual means, such as the hasps 14.

15 is a short hook, and 16 a series of staples fixed in the house beside dlfferent windows, whereby the ladder may be secured close to the house when not in service, and 17 is a longer hook, whereby the ladder, when extended to the ground,niay be secured in frontof any window by means of the same staple 16.

When the ladder is in service, the slide-bar 8 stands out from the house beyond the vertical plane of the pivots l1, and the weight of the upper section of the ladder hanging thereon tends to hold the feet of the braces 10 in their steps 12, and the footof the lower section of the ladder rests on the ground. This causes the necessity for the long hook 17. \Vhen the ladder is stored against the house, as in Fig. 3, the bar 8 is between the plane of the pivots 11 and the house, and the weight of the upper, section of the ladder tends to hold the barand ladder against the house, and the foot of the lower section of the ladder may rest on a ledge,

18, of the housefinish, or upon a shelf suitably fixed to the house so far above ground as to be inaccessible to burglars.

19 represents a wire rope attached midway to the top of the ladder, thence passing over pulleys 20, which are secured on the slide-bar near its ends, and thence to the ground. By this means a person on the ground may draw the ladder in front of any window.

21 represents pins projecting from the face of the house, over which pins the wire rope may be done up when not in use, out of reach of persons on the ground, but within reach of a person at the second-story windows. The bar 8 may be moved to or from the house either bya person at an upper window taking directly hold of the ladder or by means of one of the braces 10, used as alever. The side bars of the ladder and the slide-bar should be made ofiron pipe, for sake oflightness and strength, and every part of the fire escape should be iron, for safety and durability.

Having thus fully described my invention, what Iclaim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination of the brackets 6, provided with the steps 12, the braces 10, pivoted midway in the said brackets and adapted to engage the steps 12, and the slide-bar 8, secured to the upper ends of the said braces, substantially as shown and described.

2. The combination ofthebrackets.6,adapted to be secured to a house, and provided with the steps 12, the braces 10, pivoted in the brackets and adapted to engage the steps 12, the slidebar 8, secured to the upper ends of the said braces, the ladder 7, provided with hooks 9, adapted to engage the slide-bar 8, the ladder 13, secured to the ladder 7 with a sliding fit, and the ledge 18, fixed to the house in position to support the ladders, substantially as shown and described.

3. The combination of the brackets 6, secured to a house, the braces 10, pivoted and stepped in the brackets, the slide-bar 8, Se cured upon the said braces, the two ladders 7 and 13, fitted to slide together and provided with hooks 9, adapted to slide upon the bar 8, the staples 16, secured to the house beside windows thereof, and the short hook 15 and the long hook 17, both adapted to engage any one of the staples 16 at the proper time, sub stantially as shown and described.

4. The combination of the brackets 6, se cured to a house, the braces 10, pivoted and stepped in the brackets, the slide bar 8, secured upon the said braces, the pulleys 20, secured on the slide-bar near its ends, a ladder hung upon the slide-bar by means of hooks, pins 21, projecting from the face of the house, and a wire rope, 19, secured midway to the said ladder, thence passing over the said pulleys 20 and hanging in position to be done up on the pins 21, substantially as shown and described.

5. The ombination of the liraeli els 6, having steps 12, the braces 10, pivoted in said brackets, and the bar 8, supported on said braces, as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. FALLGATTER.

Vi tn esses A. B. MELVILLE, JNo. B. COLE. 

